A sense of humor

ND recruit Wood knows when to turn on his personality.

ND recruit Wood knows when to turn on his personality.

January 03, 2009|By BOB WIENEKE Tribune Staff Writer

SAN ANTONIO -- Talking to various people who have gotten to know Cierre Wood, there was the impression that the Notre Dame-bound running back is a quiet kid. Uh-uh. "That's a lie," Wood said this week at the Alamodome, where he was preparing for today's U.S. Army All-American Bowl. "I'm quiet when I want to." Wood may pick and choose his spots when to open up and when to clam up, but the football field would certainly be one of the places where he's loud, at least with his actions. Ranked as one of the top backs in the country, the 6-foot, 192-pound Wood committed to Notre Dame in April, an early recruiting coup for the Irish. As a junior at Santa Clara High School in Oxnard, Calif., Wood ran for 2,612 yards and 42 touchdowns, averaging 14.7 yards per carry. Santa Clara jumped up to a new and more tougher league this season, but Wood still averaged 11.3 yards per carry, running for 1,622 yards and 20 TDs. One of the schools in the new league was powerful Oaks Christian, the program that two years ago produced current ND quarterback Jimmy Clausen. Coaching Wood and the West team this week at the Army game is Oaks Christian coach Bill Redell, who has sent player after player to big-time colleges. Oaks Christian beat Santa Clara 49-6 late this season, but Wood ran for 105 yards on 21 carries before an injury sidelined him. "I knew he was a very fine football player, but he's actually a better football player after seeing him here than I actually thought he was. Now I can see after watching him here for two or three days, the kid's outstanding," Redell said. "He certainly stands up with all these kids. ... His quickness, his speed, he's got good hands. He's a hard-working kid. He's definitely a big-time player." And a big-time jokester. Wood laughed about how Irish assistant Brian Polian, who recruits California, reminds him of actor Sean Astin. During some down time, Wood was spotted doing anything from showing off dance moves to snapping out of the shotgun to throwing passes to linemen, but he also spent some of that time catching passes along the sideline. His goal this week was to surprise each teammate with a tap on the shoulder. "Off the field," Wood said, "I'm a whole different person." Today, he gets to face a whole different level of competition as he takes a field filled with college-bound players at every position. "It's a lot faster to me, but that's how I play and I have no problem adjusting to it," he said. "I know I can perform against the high level of competition, so I'm not worried about it." Nor has he worried about the ribbing he's taken from the USC-bound players over the Trojans' recent dominance of Notre Dame. As a matter of fact, Wood embraced it. "They talk their mess every day. They ask me the same question, 'Why did you choose Notre Dame?' I say, 'Man, don't worry about me. Why did you choose SC? Same reason,'" Wood said. "Just wait until I get there. That's what I say all the time. Wait 'til I get there."

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